Will Smith would like to apologize for every fan who watched the 1999 action-comedy Wild Wild West because he admits taking the role for the wrong reasons.
The big-time Hollywood actor – who starred alongside Kevin Kline in the critically-panned adventure said during a Cannes Lions panel this week:
“I had so much success that I started to taste global blood, and my focus shifted from my artistry to winning.
“I wanted to win and be the biggest movie star, and what happened was there was a lag – around Wild Wild West time – I found myself promoting something because I wanted to win versus promoting something because I believed in it.”
“Smoke and mirrors in marketing and sales is over,” he added. “People are going to know really quickly and globally whether a product keeps its promises. I consider myself a marketer.
“My career has been strictly being able to sell my products globally, and it’s now in the hands of fans. I have to be in tune with their needs and not trick them into going to see Wild Wild West.”
As if picking up poor reviews wasn’t enough, the Barry Sonnenfeld-directed flick also disappointed commercially.
The movie earned only $222.1 million worldwide on a $170 million budget.
Smith went on to confess that he knew he made the wrong call when he was on the promotional circuit for Wild Wild West.
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